A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....08-12-03...Cheap Chinese Goods are too Expensive

Billie; FreeTheHostages | FreeTheHostages

[Billie]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

by FreeTheHostages
Design by Billie

HighRoadToChina has been maintaining a very good Communist China ping list here at Free Republic since July 2002. He is a soft-spoken, deliberate, and thoughtful person. He has hard-won insight into this Communist dictatorship, having been born in Shanghai. He's attended several Free Iraq Freeps, mostly on the West Coast where he lives, but also once attended one of DC Freeps! At a San Francisco Freep, he was there, one of 65 pro-US people facing a throng of 65,000 anti-war protestors. So he does more than just maintain a ping list: he puts his money where his mouth is.

HighRoadToChina's Freeper name comes from a great movie starring Tom Selleck. Like Tom Selleck in the movie, HighRoadToChina is a classy guy and he knows stuff. So let's walk a ways with him.

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Do you really know what you think about China?

Here's a little test for you:

• Is it capitalism when a Communist government lets an American business in and that American company knows it doesn't have to play by free enterprise rules and it has to let the Communists get a big slice of the pie?
  
  
• Is it capitalism when money gets funneled back to the very small, very powerful, and very rich Communists and the Chinese government insists that 50% of every foreign business be owned by the Chinese?
  
  
• Is it capitalism when the Communist Chinese favor the first-arrived American business to keep the company under its control, knowing that it won't speak up and complain about human rights and lose its gravy train, a share of the cheap labor profits?

How'd you do on the test?

HighRoadToChina is grading this test and he's here to tell you that you didn't do very well if you lent an ear to easy solutions to what ails China: the Chinese Communist government.

How long have we heard pie-in-the-sky stories about the 1.2 billion consumer class and how capitalism is going to bring democracy to China? It's not happening. Nixon went to China over 30 years ago. And still it's very much a communist country: 80 percent rural, very poor, with women treated as second-class citizens, a nuclear power founded on a slave economy that literally works young women to death. Sure, in Shanghai and Beijing you can see "progress," many skyscrapers. But you could have seen economic progress in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s too. That was not capitalism either.

Why buy goods from an organized criminal communist society that enslaves its own people, terrorizes neighboring countries, and has long-range plans to rule Asia if not the world? We have to all get educated, the way the good people of Taiwan are educated:

Taiwan represents an example and a spiritual force for the people on the mainland who are suffering. The Taiwanese are Chinese, they're free, they've elected the first democratically-elected president in 5000 years of Chinese history. Just as America is the hope for the world, Taiwan is the hope for the Chinese people.

Let's be the hope for freedom-loving Chinese people.

Why Maintain a China ping list?

Why the ping list? Because HighRoadToChina cares deeply and, well, 'cause frankly a lot of us Americans aren't doing very well on that test!

What I read about China today is very alarming. I feel that people in America don't really comprehend what's going on there. To me, it's like what happened in Pearl Harbor, but this time we could be faced with nuclear weapons.

HighRoadToChina makes a riveting historical comparison:

He notes that in the late 1930s Americans *got it* -- even before we joined World War II, we understood that the Nazi war machine wanted to make slaves of the countries it conquered. Why do we think that when the Chinese Communists undertake the same plan of genocide and slave labor and state control that it's nascent capitalism? If Americans knew not to buy German goods in the late 30's, why don't we stop buying "Made in China" at Walmart today?

Freedom in China: are you buying it? Americans stopped the Germans and Japanese in World War II at great costs. HighRoadToChina would have us safeguard our freedoms now: stop buying cheap, slave labor goods from Communist China.

Just to seal the deal, here's a hopefully memorable photograph of HighRoadToChina with his lovely wife to think of next time you are tempted to buy something with a "Made in China " label!

What did Tibet and pre-war Iraq have in common?

Next time someone tells you that trade with China is leading to great progress, have them consider the facts:

• More than a million Tibetans have been killed under the Chinese occupation as a result of torture, starvation, and execution, according to the Tibetan Government in Exile.
  
  
• More than 6,000 monasteries and their contents, irreplaceable jewels of Tibetan culture, have been destroyed.
  
  
• Tibetans are routinely imprisoned and tortured for non-violently expressing their views. Freedom of religion is severely curtailed.
  
  
• Nuns are brutally raped in Chinese prisons.
  
  
• Population control is routinely practiced on Tibetan women even though there is absolutely no Tibetan population problem.
  
  
• China is encouraging the large-scale settlement of Chinese people into Tibet which is overwhelming the Tibetan population in many areas.

China's trying to finish off Tibet right in front of the world community. We should be ashamed for allowing them to do this. Never again. And that's why HighRoadToChina got active on the Free Iraq rallies to support President Bush's war against Saddam Hussein: it's all about freedom.

HighRoadToChina with a famous radio personality,
Melanie Morgan, at a Free Iraq rally.

You should hear the truth, pride and humanity in his voice as he expresses his delight that the Iraqi people – and he has friends who are Iraqis and he knows their horror stories – earned some measure of freedom. And then he adds with a bit of sadness that Iraq is like Tibet was in 1950. Back then, the Tibetans were crying to the world for help. Nobody came to their help. Over one-fourth of the Tibetan population have since been killed by the Communist Chinese.

Wow, I pretty much shuddered when he uttered that thought. Tibet was so preventable. There are millions of people in China now, yearning for the freedom of Taiwan's way of life. Those cheap goods come at too dear a price. Thanks very much for the reminder and helping us take the high road, HighRoad.

Here's to a great pinglist-keeper, a brave activist, and a very thoughtful advocate for freedom: HighRoadToChina.

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 08-11-03 Military Monday

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me a FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Calpernia]

Oh Officer SpellGood! I need to be fined again!

Stilling = Stealing

[Aquamarine]

Yes, we're very fortunuate to have been born in America.

Good morning. :)

[Aquamarine]

Hi Cal, it's good to see you back in the saddle again. :)

[Billie]

Hi, Tooters! Thanks for your cheery hello. :)

[The Mayor]

Have a great day!!

[Billie]

Morning, Miss Mo. :)

[Billie]

Hi, Cal - fill free to still the pandas. LOL!

[Diver Dave]

Mornin' y'all. Great presentation today.

Our government may have cut a deal with China, but this frequent shopper passes over "Made In China" labels for "Made in USA."

A disgusting sight is the "Made In China" labels on the American Flag. Call me old fashioned, but I know where my loyalties lie...

I am the flag of the United States of America.

My name is Old Glory.

I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over great institutes of learning.
I stand guard with the greatest military power in the world.

Look up! And see me!
I stand for peace - honor - truth and justice.
I stand for freedom
I am confident - I am arrogant
I am proud.

When I am flown with my fellow banners
My head is a little higher
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one.

I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted - I am respected
I am revered - I am loved, and I am feared.

I have fought every battle of every war
for more than 200 years:
Gettysburg, Shilo, Appomatox, San Juan Hill,
the trenches of France,
the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome,
the beaches of Normandy,

the deserts of Africa,
the cane fields of the Philippines,
the rice paddies andjungles of Guam, Okinawa,
Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Guadalcanal,
New Britain, Peleliu, and many more islands.
And a score of places long forgotten
by all but those who were with me.

I was there.
I led my soldiers - I followed them.
I watched over them.
They loved me.
I was on a small hill in Iwo Jima.
I was dirty, battle-worn and tired,
but my soldiers cheered me,
and I was proud.

I have been soiled, burned, torn
and trampled on the streets of countries
I have helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.

I have been soiled, burned, torn
and trampled on the streets of my country,
and when it is by those with whom
I have served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth
and stand watch over the
uncharted new frontiers of space
from my vantage point on the moon.

I have been a silent witness to all
of America's finest hours.
But my finest hour comes when I am torn
into strips to be used for bandages
for my wounded comrades on the field of battle,

When I fly at half mast to honor my soldiers,
And when I lie in the trembling arms
of a grieving mother at the graveside
of her fallen son.

I am proud.
My name is Old Glory.
Dear God - Long may I wave.

~by Howard Schnauber~

[Billie]

Morning, Dave. I have to agree wholeheartedly with you about the "Made in China" labels. AND most especially our flag. Love your post. :)

[FreeTheHostages]

whoo hoo! Well done. Yes, "Made In China" doesn't look right on an American flag, and it won't until the Chinese people are free.

[FreeTheHostages]

Morning!

[FreeTheHostages]

Good, I'm glad you're into sharing, because you probably recognize that gold border on the webpage I'm working on! ;)

[FreeTheHostages]

And that calendar is *still* not working. Someone must be on August vacation.

[FreeTheHostages]

Thanks for dropping by!

[FreeTheHostages]

LOL, if you want to misspell, you've come to the right place! Good morning to you.

[Billie]

LOL! I did recognize that gold border, and you're more than welcome to use it, or any of the backgrounds I've used before - especially the gradient ones make great borders! (You can also take just one gradient background graphic and change the hue in photo editing software to make several different colored backgrounds for borders) :)

[dansangel]

Thank you for the educational and *interesting* thread today on the Finest!

HRTC - wonderful to "meet" you! I haven't had a chance to read through the entire thread but promise to on my lunch break. Welcome to the Finest ((((((HUGS)))))))

(((((((Billie)))))))) and ((((((Freezie)))))))) - another wonderful collaboration! I love the pandas, the layout and everything else. Always such a treat to see what's coming up next from "youse guys"!

[Calpernia]

Oops, I said good morning to JohnHuang2 at post 20....That was HighRoadToChina's editorial.

Sorry for the mistake.

Excellent read HighRoad. Good morning to you and nice to see you featured at the Finest!

[Calpernia]

Morning Aqua! Nice to be able to log in again!

[Calpernia]

Ha ha! I wouldn't tease like that with TTM around.